Türkiye critical actor in global affairs, says outgoing MI6 chief

Serkan Demirtaş - ISTANBUL

The outgoing chief of the British secret service, MI6, has described Türkiye as a regional power playing a critical role in many global affairs, including its efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

Richard Moore, who was running the MI6 for the past five years, delivered his final speech as “C” from Istanbul on Sept. 19, as he evaluated recent global developments in the world of espionage and launched a new dark web portal for the recruitment of new spies.

Moore, who served as the British ambassador to Türkiye between 2014 and 2018, dedicated the first part of his lengthy speech to his ties to Türkiye which he calls his second home.

In brilliant Turkish, Moore explained that his strong bonds with Türkiye go back to late 1980s as a young student trying to learn Turkish.

“I fell in love with this unique country, its incredibly hospitable people, its magnificent cuisine, its unique combination of history and breathtaking landscapes,” Moore said, recalling that his daughter was born in Istanbul.

“But,” he said, “My decision to choose Istanbul for this speech is not only emotional. Türkiye, as was for centuries, is of critical importance to the international system today. On every issue I was dealing as the head of the MI6, Türkiye played a critical role.”

Reiterating that Türkiye played an important role in efforts to end the Russian occupation of Ukraine and supported the triumph of international law and Ukraine’s sovereignty, Moore also underlined that Türkiye and the U.K. share common interest in preserving a stable Caucasus and the Middle East.

“In the south, we struggled against ISIS together and sought to reinforce Syria’s stability following the collapse of Assad rule,” Moore said.

Ankara and London also worked together in the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas against Israel and continue to share the grief over the sufferings of the Palestinians, the MI6 head stated.

“We believe that permanent security and prosperity of Israelis and Palestinians can only be achieved through a two-state formula,” Moore said, explaining that he worked closely with former and current heads of Türkiye's National Intelligence Organization (MİT), Hakan Fidan and İbrahim Kalın consecutively.

Moore will leave his office at the end of September to Blaise Metreweli.